Previously, conventional containers for video cassettes etc. have used a plastics sleeve welded at opposite edges thereof to the exterior surfaces of the container, the sleeve being adapted to hold a paper insert printed with the required information between itself and the external walls of the container. However, the insert often slips either totally out of the sleeve and is therefore lost, or slips partially relative to the sleeve and consequently becomes crumpled and damaged so that not all information can be read and is unsightly.
Other known containers have used paper or plastic labels that are secured to the exterior surfaces thereof by adhesive applied across the whole rear face of the label or have involved placing paper or a plastics sheet within a mould and in-moulding the sheet with the container during the fabricating of the container. However, it is difficult to automate the manufacture of such containers and application of an adhesive label involves applying heat or pressure to the whole surface of the label and this can damage the walls, e.g. the spine, of the container. Labeling via the in-moulding technique is also inflexible in production terms and capital intensive. If the product is over produced with respect to orders, the excess products have to be disposed of and, if the product is under produced with respect to orders, there is a significant delay in meeting the extra orders due to the time required to set up the moulding machinery again for a short production run.
A further problem with labels which are adhered to the outer surface of a container including a hinged portion is that the label is subject to distortion and damage when the container is opened and closed. If the label is adhered to the container when the container is in the open position, the label will be stressed across the hinged portion when the container is moved to the closed position and is liable to cracking or tearing. If the label is adhered to the container when the container is in the closed position, the label will tend to crease and unsightly lines form thereon when the container is moved to the open position. To overcome this problem, three separate labels have been provided, i.e. one on each of the major faces of the container and one on the spine thereof. However, this increases the manufacturing cost, is prone to error and can be unsightly.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide an improved container with an information display the manufacture of which is relatively simple and is easy to automate yet which provides a high quality durable information display.